Paycheck Fairness Act

Ensuring Equal Pay for Women in the Workplace

Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.

Loopholes created by courts and weak sanctions in the law have allowed many employers to avoid liability for engaging in gender-based pay discrimination. The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro and passed by the House on January 9, 2009 by a vote of 256-163, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

The Paycheck Fairness Act:

• Requires that employers seeking to justify unequal pay bear the burden of proving that its actions are job-related and consistent with a business necessity.
• Prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers.
• Puts gender-based discrimination sanctions on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination – such as race, disability or age – by allowing women to sue for compensatory and punitive damages.
• Requires the Department of Labor to enhance outreach and training efforts to work with employers in order to eliminate pay disparities.
• Requires the Department of Labor to continue to collect and disseminate wage information based on gender.
• Creates a new grant program to help strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.

Support for the Paycheck Fairness Act

Letter of support from Lilly Ledbetter »

9to5, National Association of Working Women
Atlanta 9to5 Working Women
9to5 Colorado
9to5 Milwaukee
9to5 Bay Area
Los Angeles 9to5
ACLU
Alliance for Justice
American Association of University Women
AAUW of South Dakota
AAUW of Alabama
AAUW of Alaska
AAUW of Arizona
AAUW of Arkansas
AAUW of California
AAUW of Colorado
AAUW of Connecticut
AAUW of Delaware
AAUW of District of Columbia
AAUW of Florida
AAUW of Georgia
AAUW of Hawaii
AAUW of Idaho
AAUW of Illinois
AAUW of Indiana
AAUW of Iowa
AAUW of Kansas
AAUW of Kentucky
AAUW of Louisiana
AAUW of Maine
AAUW of Maryland
AAUW of Massachusetts
AAUW of Michigan
AAUW of Minnesota
AAUW of Mississippi
AAUW of Missouri
AAUW of Montana
AAUW of Nebraska
AAUW of Nevada
AAUW of New Hampshire
AAUW of New Jersey
AAUW of New Mexico
AAUW of New York
AAUW of North Carolina
AAUW of North Dakota
AAUW of Ohio
AAUW of Oklahoma
AAUW of Oregon
AAUW of Pennsylvania
AAUW of Rhode Island
AAUW of South Carolina
AAUW of Tennessee
AAUW of Texas
AAUW of Utah
AAUW of Vermont
AAUW of Virginia
AAUW of Washington
AAUW of West Virginia
AAUW of Wisconsin
AAUW of Wyoming
A Better Balance: The Work and Family Legal Center
American Federation of Teachers
American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
Association for Women in Science
American Jewish Committee
Anti-Defamation League
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
BCN Consulting
Business and Professional Women/USA
Arkansas Federation of Business and Professional Women
Business and Professional Women/Arizona
Business and Professional Women/Florida
Business and Professional Women/Iowa
Business and Professional Women/Kansas
Business and Professional Women/Maine
Business and Professional Women/New Jersey.
Business and Professional Women/Rhode Island
Business and Professional Women/Texas
Business and Professional Women/Virginia
Business and Professional Women of New York State
Maryland Business and Professional Women
Massachusetts Federation of Business and Professional Women
Michigan Federation of Business and Professional Women
Minnesota State Federation of Business and Professional Women
Missouri Federation of Business and Professional Women Clubs, Inc
Montana Business and Professional Women
Nebraska Federation of Business and Professional Women
New Mexico Federation of Business and Professional Women
Ohio Federation of Business and Professional Women
Oregon Business and Professional Women
Pennsylvania Federation of Business and Professional Women
Tennessee Federation of Business and Professional Women
Utah State Business and Professional Women
Center for Inquiry
Clearinghouse on Women's Issues
Coalition for Equal Pay (south SF Bay Area)
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Equal Rights Advocates
Federally Employed Women
Feminist Majority
Finger Lakes Women's Bar Association
First Impressions
Gender Equity Club at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
General Federation of Women's Clubs
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America
Hard Hatted Women
Idaho Women Lawyers, Inc.
Iowa Commission on the Status of Women
Law Students for Reproductive Justice
Legal Momentum
Maine Women's Lobby
Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF)
MHB Consulting, LLC
Michigan Federation of Business and Professional Women
Minnesota State Federation of Business and Professional Women
Missouri Federation of Business and Professional Women Clubs, Inc
MomsRising
Montana Business and Professional Women
Montgomery County Commission for Women
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum
National Association of Commissions for Women
National Association of Mothers' Centers and its MOTHERS Initiative
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH)
National Capital Area Union of Retirees (NCAUR)
National Committee on Pay Equity »
National Council of Jewish Women
National Council of Negro Women
National Council of Women's Organizations
National Education Association
National Employment Lawyers Association
National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women and Families »
National Women’s Law Center
National Women's Conference Committee
National Women's Political Caucus
New York Women's Agenda
OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women »
People For the American Way »
Project Kid Smart
Sisters in the Building Trades Inc
Southwest Women's Law Center
The Church Women United Board
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The WAGE Project
Union for Reform Judaism
United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society
Washington Office Of Public Policy, Women's Division, General Board of Global
Ministries
Wider Opportunities for Women
Women’s City Club of New York
Women's Committee of 100
Women's Division
Women Employed
Women’s Information Network
Women’s Law Center of Maryland Inc.
Women’s Law Project
Women of Reform Judaism
Women Under Forty PAC
Women’s Voices. Women Vote Action Fund
Women Work! The National Network for Women's Employment
YWCA USA
Click here to read a letter of support from all of the above organizations »

AARP »
U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce »
Institute for Women's Policy Research »